A Kerry TD claims people are making a living by objecting to planning applications.
Independent deputy Michael Healy-Rae is calling on the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to overhaul the process of lodging a planning objection.
Deputy Michael Healy-Rae says he respects a person’s right to object to a planning application; however, he says elements of the planning system are illogical.
He says a person in Donegal can object to a housing application in Kerry, simply by paying €20.
Deputy Healy-Rae says it’s disgraceful if people are making a living from objecting to planning applications throughout the country.
The Kerry TD also references cases uncovered by Radio Kerry, where it was shown a person who lodged both an appeal and an objection didn’t exist, along with the case where someone used a deceased’s man identity to report an alleged breach of planning.
Apart from increasing the cost of objecting, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae also favours restricting objections in the case of single dwellings to those directly affected by the development.
He’s seeking radius requirements of between 5km and 20km for any future planning objection, while he also wants greater transparency, meaning objectors have to prove their identity to the local authority.
However, Minister Darragh O'Brien says he is satisfied with the current arrangements in relation to public participation and has no proposals to amend the legislation.
